Smoking Bans?

Despite my strong support for Governor Mike Huckabee, he recently made a few comments at the Lance Armstrong forum in Cedar Rapids about supporting what would be a ban on smoking in all places where people work.  If I agreed with any candidate 100% of the time, it would mean that I was running for office. :-)  I don't give up my support for Mike over this, but I do think it is a flaw in his campaign logic...especially while attempting to garner the Conservative vote.

Since I don't want to continue to clutter his website with my opinion, I figured I'd offer to carry the debate over here to my page.

In short my opinion was as follows:

I admit to being a little curious/dismayed about the idea of a smoking ban. Lots of things kill people, but we don't want the government to regulate our lives to the extent necessary to prevent us from hurting ourselves.  A governmental ban on smoking smacks at private property rights.  If I own a bar, and choose to allow smoking, and the employees choose to work there, and the customers choose to come in, a blanket ban is simply wrong.
In Fort Mill, SC, many restaurants have voluntarily banned smoking.  I have no problem with this.  I simply take my business elsewhere to the only location left that allows it.  Let the market make that decision, not government.

For anyone to force their personal preferences on people by using the force of government is wrong.  I give the example that I'm allergic to shellfish.  Should I now force the good people at Reb Lobster to stop serving lobster and crab because it makes me sick?  Of course not.  I know what the restaurant sells, and I make an informed choice not to go there.  The government never needs to be involved.

Ok, my 2 cents.  I look forward to comments.